HELP!! Got food on the brain...

anitaR18

I joined MFP last month, and decided yesterday it is time to reach out to others. I am struggling, and do not want to give up. I cant afford to give up. I think putting myself out there with honesty is the only way to go...I am 39 years old, 5'3" and weigh 260lbs. I spent the last 20 years on the yo-yo diet game, and just keep gaining. Getting close to 40 now is hitting me hard, and its time to change!

I am looking for others that understand where my crazy mind takes me, and help each other. Everyday I start out by thinking of food, and what I have a taste for whether its healthy or not. I also spend almost every waking hour feeling disgusted about my weight, and wondering why I do not stick to the plan. The crazy part is I lead a very positive life, enjoy my job and family and even find time to be active. Love zumba! So that little negative piece of my brain does not consume me, it just rears its ugly head at eating opportunities.

I want to lose over 100lbs, and get back to a weight my body once was. Throughout high school and up until I had my daughter at 18yrs old, I weighed 135-145lbs. I would jump for joy to get back to that healthy weight. I am determined as I have noticed my health declining carrying this extra weight. It's a journey, and I would love to have some new friends so we can cheer each other on...

bendis2007

Good luck on your journey! Feel free to add me as a friend. I feel you about having food on the brain - it's very easy to think about that when you're addicted to sugars and fatty foods. Slow and steady changes that you can adapt to and stick with is the way to go. I had a rough time the first few months, but now that I've been consistently eating healthier foods and trying different recipes I actually find that I crave those fruits, vegetables, and legumes instead of processed foods (although sometimes I do wish everything was pizza). You may have a few setbacks but I'm confident you'll be able to do this!

mommazach

Baby steps count. First thing first is that you started on your journey. Now what do you intend to do about it.

enterdanger

Hi Anita. I'm very similar to you. I'm 37 and 5'4" and realized a year after I had my second baby that I couldn't walk up the steps without getting winded. I was 223lbs at the time. Between then and now I've lost 30lbs. I've had some ups and downs where I gained some weight back. We have a very similar goal weight. On days when I get food on the brain I try to volume eat and add some treats. So I'll have like a huge salad of veggies followed by a couple squares of dark chocolate. That way I'm full and I still get to eat a portion of what I craved. It really helps. Some days I just fail. The important thing is that I log my food and move on. If I sucked yesterday I have a chance to do better today.

If you lower your weight loss goal to 1lb a week instead of more, I think you should get about 1400 calories. I know 200 more calories doesn't sound huge, but it does make a big difference for me. At 1200 calories a day I would binge eat at least once a week.

The other thing I do is depend on exercise to get me more calories. That was bad for me because it was like the world was ending if I didn't get to the gym that day. Now, I'll eat my exercise calories back, but never before I've earned them.

Feel free to send me a friend request if you'd like.

MudstainSally

@anitaR18 Add me Anita, I feel you. I'm 37, about to turn 38. 5'5" and started at 256. I have a huge goal of getting back to 140, but doing short term goals in the mean time. You gotta find what works for you. What works for me might not work for you. Find your trigger!

Mine is usually sitting down in my recliner and watching TV, I used to binge on snacks during that time. Now when I feel that urge, I pause what I'm watching or playing and I go find something else to do for even 10-15 mins (like that laundry that didn't get folded, or dishes my kid didn't empty from the rack...) and I drink a few glasses of water, look at my calories on MFP. If I'm still dying after an hour, I eat it, in moderation and don't dare go over serving size. It's not easy, it's not even fun sometimes, but I've got a bigger goal in mind than that 5 minute satisfaction that some Oreos is going to give me.

Add me, we can do this together!

Athena_fit

Add me if you want! Have 47 pounds to loose amd i'' at the beginning of my journey!